Kendo Seminar in Memory of Masatake Sumi Sensei

Masatake Sumi sensei (8th dan Hanshi) first came to the UK in 1989 at the invitation of Paul Budden sensei (Kodokan Kancho, 7th dan Kyoshi), who had met him the previous year in France. From then on, Sumi sensei visited the UK every year until 2018, sharing his vast knowledge and inspiring generations of kenshi. The COVID-19 pandemic brought these annual seminars to a temporary halt. He had hoped to return in 2022, but circumstances prevented his visit. He was due to come once again in 2025, but his declining health made the journey impossible. Budden sensei ran the seminar in Sumi sensei’s absence on both occasions. Sumi sensei sadly passed away in February 2026, and, tragically, Paul Budden sensei passed away the following month.

 

This seminar is being held in memory of Sumi sensei, as a tribute to his lifelong dedication to kendo, his unwavering commitment to teaching even from afar, and his immense contribution to the development of kendo in the UK and across Europe through his many seminars in different countries. It is also an opportunity to remember Paul Budden sensei, whose tireless work over nearly four decades helped shape British kendo and created a lasting home for Sumi sensei’s teachings, known as Sumi-ryu.

The seminar will be conducted in the style of the Kodokan Seminar and Sumi-ryu that Sumi sensei cultivated in the UK over the past 38 years. Above all, it is dedicated to celebrating the enduring friendship between Sumi sensei and Budden sensei, and the legacy they leave for us and future generations of kenshi.